Dang Gui Bu Xue Tang pattern?

• A. Blood and qi deficiency with floating yang
• B. Cold-damp
• C. Phlegm-damp
• D. Blood stasis

Answer: (A)

Dang Gui Bu Xue Tang is used when there is simultaneous deficiency of blood and qi, with the yang lacking a firm grounding so it tends to float. Dang Gui nourishes and invigorates blood, while Huang Qi tonifies qi and helps generate blood, together lifting and supporting the body’s vital substances. Clinically this pattern presents with paleness, fatigue, dizziness or lightheadedness, shortness of breath, and a weak, thin pulse, often with a pale tongue. The floating yang arises because with insufficient blood and qi, the body's protective energy isn’t anchored, allowing yang to rise to the surface.

This formula isn’t for cold-damp, phlegm-damp, or blood stasis patterns, which require different herbs and approaches to address dampness, phlegm accumulation, or stagnation of blood.